86% of travellers read review responses before booking. Master the art of positive replies and turn every criticism into a selling point.
Airbnb and Booking.com reviews are not just public testimonials: they are decisive algorithmic signals for your ranking in search results. The Airbnb platform gives significant weight to recent reviews (the last 6 months count more than the previous 3 years) and to your message response rate. A consistent, professional review strategy can move a listing up 20 to 40 positions in search results — without changing the price, the photos or the property itself.
A Cornell University School of Hotel Administration study, often cited in the hospitality sector, showed that a one-star improvement on review platforms leads on average to an 11.2% increase in bookings — all else being equal (price, location, amenities). This figure is remarkable: it means going from 4.4 to 4.8 stars can generate more revenue than a 10% price cut.
Guest psychology around reviews is well documented:
Airbnb's algorithm (codenamed "Saffron") factors in several review-related elements in its ranking score:
The Airbnb algorithm ("Saffron") simultaneously takes into account review frequency, host response rate, overall rating and the rating's trend over time. Aim for a 100% response rate (reply to every message within 24 hours, ideally under 1h) and an overall rating above 4.8. These two thresholds trigger significant algorithmic advantages — including access to Superhost status.
The large majority of satisfied guests do not leave a review spontaneously — not out of ill will, but through forgetfulness or lack of a prompt. Our 3-message post-stay sequence, rolled out across our entire portfolio, has increased the review collection rate from 34% to 61% on average.
"Hello [First name], we hope your stay in [City] went wonderfully and that you got home safely! Your review helps us a lot to welcome guests like you — if you have 2 minutes, we'd love to read your feedback. Hopefully see you again in Belgium!"
Why it works: The guest has just got home or is still in transit. The stay is fresh. Positive emotion is at its peak if the stay went well. This timing generates 60–70% of the reviews collected.
"Hello [First name], I hope you got home well! I just wanted to make sure everything went as expected during your stay. If you'd like to share your experience in a few words, here's the direct link: [Airbnb link]. Thank you and see you soon!"
Why it works: A direct link reduces friction (the guest doesn't have to search for where to leave the review). This follow-up generates 20–25% of the remaining reviews.
"Hello [First name], one last little thought about your stay with us! If you've had time to leave a review, thank you so much — if not yet, no worries at all. Feel free to get in touch if you ever come back to [City] — we'd be delighted!"
Why it works: A very gentle message, with no pressure. Generates the remaining 10–15% of reviews while maintaining a positive relationship even without a review.
Here are our 15 review response templates, tested and optimised across our Belgian portfolio. Always adapt them by personalising with a detail specific to the stay or the person:
Template 1 — Couple on a city break
"Thank you so much [First name] for this warm feedback! We're delighted you enjoyed [Neighbourhood] and its unique atmosphere. Brussels has so much to offer — we'd be happy to welcome you again on a future visit. See you very soon!"
Template 2 — Business traveller
"Thank you for your review [First name]! It's a pleasure to welcome business travellers like you. We hope your trip to Brussels went well. Feel free to book directly if you come back to the EU capital!"
Template 3 — Family with children
"Thank you so much [First name]! We're truly delighted the whole family had a great time. Welcoming families with children is a real pleasure — and we love knowing the little ones enjoyed the apartment too. See you soon for more Belgian adventures!"
Template 4 — Guest mentioning a specific detail (view, neighbourhood, amenity)
"Thank you for this feedback [First name]! We're especially touched that you mentioned [specific detail — the terrace, the local café, the bedding] — that's exactly what we aim for in every stay. Your review encourages us to keep it up. See you soon!"
Template 5 — Returning guest (2nd stay or more)
"What a joy to read you again [First name]! Having you come back is the best compliment we could get. Thank you for your loyalty and renewed trust — that's what keeps us going every day. See you very soon!"
Template 6 — 4-star review, no detailed comment
"Thank you [First name] for your stay and your review! We'd be curious to know what could have made your stay even more perfect — feel free to let us know in a private message. We're constantly working to improve the experience for future guests. See you soon!"
Template 7 — 4-star review mentioning a minor issue that was resolved
"Thank you so much [First name] for this honest feedback! We're glad the situation could be resolved quickly. We have since [specific corrective action]. Your feedback directly helps us improve our hospitality. Hope to see you again soon!"
Template 8 — Cleanliness issue reported
"Thank you for this feedback [First name], though we're sincerely sorry for the cleanliness shortcomings you noticed. This is not our usual standard and it shouldn't happen. We've reviewed our cleaning protocol and put in place a systematic photo check after each turnover. We hope you'll give us the chance to show our real standard on a future stay."
Template 9 — Noise or location issue
"Thank you for your feedback [First name]. We're sorry the street noise disturbed your stay — this is something we have since documented more clearly in our listing (double-glazed windows, earplugs available, a higher floor in our other apartment). We hope to have the chance to host you better in the future."
Template 10 — Value for money seen as insufficient
"Thank you [First name] for this honest feedback. We take note of your view on value for money — this is valuable input. We have since [concrete improvement: new mattress, extra amenities, etc.]. We hope this will make a positive difference for our future guests."
Template 11 — Very negative review with a serious technical issue (heating or hot water failure)
"Thank you for this feedback [First name], though we fully understand your disappointment and sincerely apologise. A [technical] failure during a stay is unacceptable — we should have anticipated and fixed this issue before your arrival. We have since had [provider] intervene and carried out a full system check. We hope other guests will not encounter this situation thanks to your report."
Template 12 — Very negative review based on a misunderstanding or misaligned expectations
"Thank you for this feedback [First name]. We're sorry the property didn't match your expectations. On re-reading our listing, we did find that [point of friction] could be made clearer — we have since updated the description to avoid any future confusion. We apologise for the inconvenience."
Template 13 — Negative review with inaccurate or bad-faith accusations
"Thank you for your feedback [First name]. We have carefully noted your comment. The condition of the apartment is systematically documented with photos before and after each stay. We'd like to reassure future guests that we are committed to a consistently high standard of quality, as confirmed by all our previous reviews."
Template 14 — 1-star review on a single sub-category only (e.g. "check-in was complicated")
"Thank you [First name] for this feedback. We're sorry the arrival process felt unclear — we have since reviewed and simplified our access instructions to make them even more intuitive. Your feedback directly helps us improve the experience for our future guests."
Template 15 — Response to a review left by mistake (wrong rating, stay at a different property)
"Thank you for your feedback [First name]. It looks like there may be some confusion with another property — the details mentioned don't match our apartment at [address/neighbourhood]. Please feel free to contact us in a private message to clarify. We remain available for any discussion."
Belgian travellers and foreign travellers visiting Belgium have specific cultural expectations that are useful to understand in order to anticipate reviews:
Airbnb allows you to dispute a review in specific cases. The conditions are strict, but the process is accessible:
Analyse your last 30 reviews: identify the 2–3 sub-categories with the lowest scores. Plan concrete improvements for each point (cleaning protocol, welcome guide, missing amenities). Set your rating target for the year.
Update your templates to incorporate feedback from the winter season. Refresh your automatic post-stay messages (Hospitable or Smoobu) for spring.
Check all your equipment (WiFi, air conditioning, summer bedding). Temporarily increase your vigilance on the mid-stay message during Tomorrowland and summer events — party stays sometimes generate more problematic reviews.
Compare your current rating to your January target. Analyse the impact of the corrective actions put in place. Strengthen your strategy for the final sprint of the year (Christmas markets).
Calculate RevPAR correlated with how your rating has moved over the year. Plan improvements for the following year. Check Superhost status (Airbnb's quarterly assessment: January, April, July, October).
Superhost status is assessed by Airbnb every three months (1 January, 1 April, 1 July, 1 October) over a rolling 365-day window. Here are the exact thresholds and what they mean in practice:
Responding to a positive review is not a formal obligation — it is a marketing opportunity visible to every future traveller browsing your listing. Your response shows your personality, your warmth, and your commitment to a great experience.
Poor response (too generic): "Thank you for your review! See you soon."
Good response (personalised and lively): "Thank you so much Clara! We're delighted you enjoyed the terrace and the neighbourhood — that's what made us fall in love with this apartment too. Brussels and its place Flagey are waiting for your next stay!"
A badly handled negative review does more damage than a negative review left with no response at all. The golden rule: wait 12 to 24 hours before responding. Never respond in the heat of the moment, never out of raw emotion.
Structure of the ideal response:
Here is the story of Laurent, owner of a 2-bedroom apartment in Saint-Gilles (Brussels), whom we supported at Hexuvium starting in March 2025:
Airbnb breaks your overall rating down into six sub-categories, each displayed publicly:
The digital reputation of an Airbnb listing is built over the long term — the first 20 to 30 reviews are decisive in establishing your algorithmic score. From that base, every new positive review reinforces your position. Every well-handled negative review can even strengthen your credibility with sceptical future travellers. The goal isn't impossible perfection — it's consistency over time and demonstrated responsiveness to inevitable imperfections.
A rigorous, consistent and proactive review management strategy is one of the most profitable time investments you can make as a short-term rental owner. At Hexuvium, we handle all guest communications and review responses for every property in our portfolio, guaranteeing a 100% response rate, a consistent approach to handling dissatisfaction, and continuous improvement of ratings across all managed properties.
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